Welcome

Welcome to the POZ Community Forums, a round-the-clock discussion area for people with HIV/AIDS, their friends/family/caregivers, and
others concerned about HIV/AIDS. Click on the links below to browse our various forums; scroll down for a glance at the most recent posts; or join in the
conversation yourself by registering on the left side of this page.

Privacy Warning: Please realize that these forums are open to all, and are fully searchable via Google and other search engines. If you are HIV positive
and disclose this in our forums, then it is almost the same thing as telling the whole world (or at least the World Wide Web). If this concerns you, then do not use a
username or avatar that are self-identifying in any way. We do not allow the deletion of anything you post in these forums, so think before you post.

The information shared in these forums, by moderators and members, is designed to complement, not replace, the relationship between an individual and his/her own
physician.

All members of these forums are, by default, not considered to be licensed medical providers. If otherwise, users must clearly define themselves as such.

Forums members must behave at all times with respect and honesty. Posting guidelines, including time-out and banning policies, have been established by the moderators
of these forums. Click here for “Am I Infected?” posting guidelines. Click here for posting guidelines pertaining to all other POZ community forums.

We ask all forums members to provide references for health/medical/scientific information they provide, when it is not a personal experience being discussed. Please
provide hyperlinks with full URLs or full citations of published works not available via the Internet. Additionally, all forums members must post information which are
true and correct to their knowledge.

He's not doing enough for the gay community. If he really cared about gay people he would marry someone gay himself.

And to make even more of a statement he should marry a pozzum.

But yeah, he's not doing enough.

Logged

"I have tried hard--but life is difficult, and I am a very useless person. I can hardly be said to have an independent existence. I was just a screw or a cog in the great machine I called life, and when I dropped out of it I found I was of no use anywhere else."

He's not doing enough for the gay community. If he really cared about gay people he would marry someone gay himself.

I'm disappointed in the President and will not vote for him this November.

There's just no pleasing some folks.

After the shrub proposed a constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage and mittens also supports the same amendment, I'm beyond proud of our president. We wanted leadership and President Obama has chosen the right side of the debate. Equality for all. What a concept.

I think something like 20-25% of gays in exit polling, last 3 presidential election cycles, have voted Republican. It will be interesting to see if this changes that. I'm going to say "no"

also, this:

GOProud puts out a statement that reads: “It is good to see that after intense political pressure that President Obama has finally come around to the Dick Cheney position on marriage equality. I am sure, however, the president’s newly discovered support for marriage is cold comfort to the gay couples in North Carolina. The president waited until after North Carolina passed a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage. This is hardly a profile in courage by President Obama. For years now, President Obama has tried his hardest to have it both ways on this issue. The real kudos here goes to LGBT activists and their allies who finally forced the president into yielding on this issue.”

I think something like 20-25% of gays in exit polling, last 3 presidential election cycles, have voted Republican. It will be interesting to see if this changes that. I'm going to say "no"

also, this:

GOProud puts out a statement that reads: “It is good to see that after intense political pressure that President Obama has finally come around to the Dick Cheney position on marriage equality. I am sure, however, the president’s newly discovered support for marriage is cold comfort to the gay couples in North Carolina. The president waited until after North Carolina passed a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage. This is hardly a profile in courage by President Obama. For years now, President Obama has tried his hardest to have it both ways on this issue. The real kudos here goes to LGBT activists and their allies who finally forced the president into yielding on this issue.”

well, la-dee-da

What complete narcissists. When gay people espouse political vitriol like that it makes me wonder what the hell you would have to do to make them happy.

"I have tried hard--but life is difficult, and I am a very useless person. I can hardly be said to have an independent existence. I was just a screw or a cog in the great machine I called life, and when I dropped out of it I found I was of no use anywhere else."

“That the president has chosen today, when LGBT Americans are mourning the passage of Amendment One, to finally speak up for marriage equality is offensive and callous,” said R. Clarke Cooper, Log Cabin Republicans Executive Director. “Log Cabin Republicans appreciate that President Obama has finally come in line with leaders like Vice President Dick Cheney on this issue, but LGBT Americans are right to be angry that this calculated announcement comes too late to be of any use to the people of North Carolina, or any of the other states that have addressed this issue on his watch. This administration has manipulated LGBT families for political gain as much as anybody, and after his campaign’s ridiculous contortions to deny support for marriage equality this week he does not deserve praise for an announcement that comes a day late and a dollar short.”

Seroconverted: Early 80sTested & confirmed what I already knew: early 90s

Current regimen: Atripla. Last regimen: Epzicom, Sustiva (since its inception with NO adverse side effects: no vivid dreams and NONE of the problems people who can't tolerate this drug may experience: color me lucky )Past regimensFun stuff (in the past): HAV/HBV, crypto, shingles, AIDS, PCP

What I'd like to tell them (and many others): "Damn, our President does the right thing, and so many see fit to just bitch. He could have done what other presidents have to benefit same-sex couples - absolutely nothing. If he'd waited 'til after the election, it would have been because he was afraid of losing because of it. He did it before, and it's 'pandering to the homosexuals'. Have you ever thought that maybe Amendment One in NC was the motivation? Even if it wasn't, do ya really think it would have changed the outcome? Give it a rest!"

Change happens slowly and I say kudos to President Obama, after all it is months before the 2012 election as was pointed out.

Romney will do anything now to solidify the conservative base and use equality for all (which much of his voting demographic do not support) to his benefit. The us against them mentality often works to divide and conquer.

Still a landmark day for the LGBT community !!!

Jody

Logged

"Wake up to find out that you are the eyes of the world". "Try to discover that you are the song that the morning brings."

I am surprised republicans haven't really pounced on this, as they would have in years past. They did pass some bills in the house for funding to used to fight DOMA and making gay marriage ceremonies banned on military bases. I think they realize this is now a tricky issue these days. But, religious folks have been suspect of Mittens. This may get them on board.

Took long enough, but even though it seems to be a political move, all these things are... I do get a sense that most Americans I have met are ok with the idea (live and let live, I suppose), and with the repeal of Don't Ask Don't Tell not generating a massive storm, I guess the time is right. Will probably take a few years to filter through, anyway. I think the interesting thing is that while it causes a raised eyebrow, it's not as momentous an event as one would have assumed even a few years ago.

GOProud puts out a statement that reads: “It is good to see that after intense political pressure that President Obama has finally come around to the Dick Cheney position on marriage equality. I am sure, however, the president’s newly discovered support for marriage is cold comfort to the gay couples in North Carolina. The president waited until after North Carolina passed a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage. This is hardly a profile in courage by President Obama. For years now, President Obama has tried his hardest to have it both ways on this issue. The real kudos here goes to LGBT activists and their allies who finally forced the president into yielding on this issue.”

I absolutely love this. Log Cabin Republicans slamming the president for not doing more, to stop the Republicans in North Carolina from passing discrimination laws against LGBT. Truth surely is stranger than fiction.

And this video/article is one of the poorest pieces I have ever read. It reads like it was written by a child or a monkey with a keyboard.

Ick. After reading that HuffPo article, I had a wander over to Fox Nation. Now I'm going to go have a hot shower and scrub myself raw. Some of the nasty rethug comments over there make me feel physically ill. I feel assaulted. I can only hope that they're a very vocal but small minority of people in the US. It frightens the hell out of me to think they may be in any kind of majority.

"...health will finally be seen not as a blessing to be wished for, but as a human right to be fought for." Kofi Annan

Nymphomaniac: a woman as obsessed with sex as an average man. Mignon McLaughlin

HIV is certainly character-building. It's made me see all of the shallow things we cling to, like ego and vanity. Of course, I'd rather have a few more T-cells and a little less character. Randy Shilts

And this video/article is one of the poorest pieces I have ever read. It reads like it was written by a child or a monkey with a keyboard.

Joe

I agree. With all the money MSNBC has at their disposal, you'd think Chris Matthews could afford to pay someone to crank out a decent transcript of an interview which he conducted on his show. Or even better: write a better spiel for him to follow as he conducts interviews.

Seroconverted: Early 80sTested & confirmed what I already knew: early 90s

Current regimen: Atripla. Last regimen: Epzicom, Sustiva (since its inception with NO adverse side effects: no vivid dreams and NONE of the problems people who can't tolerate this drug may experience: color me lucky )Past regimensFun stuff (in the past): HAV/HBV, crypto, shingles, AIDS, PCP

Ick. After reading that HuffPo article, I had a wander over to Fox Nation. Now I'm going to go have a hot shower and scrub myself raw. Some of the nasty rethug comments over there make me feel physically ill. I feel assaulted. I can only hope that they're a very vocal but small minority of people in the US. It frightens the hell out of me to think they may be in any kind of majority.

Gay republicans are a strange crowd. Kinda like Hitler Jews, and they actually had those too back during WWII.

I guess gay people won't realize the good they had in Obama until Romney is in and bans SS marriage with a constitutional amendment, packs the US Supreme Court with more anti gay right wing judges, and then goes after the gays that teach in schools. I guess...

Seroconverted: Early 80sTested & confirmed what I already knew: early 90s

Current regimen: Atripla. Last regimen: Epzicom, Sustiva (since its inception with NO adverse side effects: no vivid dreams and NONE of the problems people who can't tolerate this drug may experience: color me lucky )Past regimensFun stuff (in the past): HAV/HBV, crypto, shingles, AIDS, PCP

Seroconverted: Early 80sTested & confirmed what I already knew: early 90s

Current regimen: Atripla. Last regimen: Epzicom, Sustiva (since its inception with NO adverse side effects: no vivid dreams and NONE of the problems people who can't tolerate this drug may experience: color me lucky )Past regimensFun stuff (in the past): HAV/HBV, crypto, shingles, AIDS, PCP

Well, I'll take my morals from Bristol Palin. I shouldn't be surprised by her nerve and lack of knowledge on marriage. Why are republicans so hypocritical? Are they born that way? Nurture vs nature? I shouldn't expect her to realize marriage has changed from being a property transaction. Nut doesn't fall far from the tree.

It is outstanding that I have lived to see the day an American President support "Gay Marriage." I don't care of the whys or the whatsits, just that it is a push in the right, pardon the pun, direction. I am glad to be alive in this century more than ever before.

Well lately I have been watching minister after minister on TV show after TV show, and the majority of them are not too happy with Obama.

Now... the ministers of mostly black congregations with mostly democrat members have been turning on Obama.

What I find outrageous are those hard core anti-gay religious folks trying themselves to redefine marriage, not the gays, and the religious right further claiming total ownership of the term marriage. Argument after argument, I have yet to see one of those religious folks called out on what they are trying to get away with by doing this.

The argument... is that marriage is some religious Bible based man+woman only custom. Some of those ministers add they have no issue with "civil unions" for same sex couples, but just not marriage. They base their judgment by referring to religion and the scriptures of the Bible.

I'd love to ask just one of them that if marriage is to be reserved only for religious based unions, then how do they explain ceremonies not held in a church?

And more so, the fact that atheist can get married. Atheist are not religious. Atheist have other options of marriage other than a church based marriage, yet their marriages are as legal and binding as all marriages.

And last but most important I'd love to ask, if so many religious people hold marriage to the standards of religion and the scriptures of the Bible, then why do these same people of religion not aggressively fight against atheist getting married?

I have yet to see one law introduced, suggested or considered that would define the institution of marriage as based only on Bible scriptures.

So.... if atheist can legally marry, and Bible scriptures need not apply, then what is this argument with holding SS marriage up to Biblical Scripture standards?The argument holds no logic. None!

And "THAT" is where the main argument from the religious right fails.

Marriage is not owned and operated by any one group. Not owned or operated by any religion. Any objection using Biblical scripture as the objection simply has no logical or realistic foundation. None whatsoever. If that were not true, then atheist could not marry, nor could people of certain non Christian religion beliefs.

When the nonsense of marriage qualification by Biblical scripture has been removed, as it justly should be, then there is absolutely no reason to not expand the meaning of marriage to include same sex couples.After all, marriage in all actuality only addresses property, legalities, law and ownership rights.

The religious folks that strongly object to same sex marriage have unjustly injected Biblical scripture into the issue of SS marriage. All with their attempts to hijack and claim ownership of a foundation of freedom that was never meant to be owned by any one group, or limited to religion based beliefs.

What the people of religion are attempting to do is force ownership of marriage itself. A tactic truly inapprehensible. Call them out on it.

It is time they were exposed, especially by the media. By those talking head news shows. Cease the argument by not accepting their twisted attempt as having any solid factual foundation, when none exists.

[W]e predict that Barack Obama will come out of the closet if not before the November 6, 2012 election, before he is sworn in on Jan 20, 2013 if he is re-elected. Obama is completely consumed with making everything about him and his administration “Historic.” He has already played the “Historic” Americas first Black President despite his having to evolve into being black for political purposes, and the only thing he can do to make history now is to come OUT as Americas first Black openly gay President! He will come out, whether on his own terms or others, he will come out and Michelle Obama will not walk out and will not play the “I had no idea” game because its never been a secret.

[W]e predict that Barack Obama will come out of the closet if not before the November 6, 2012 election, before he is sworn in on Jan 20, 2013 if he is re-elected. Obama is completely consumed with making everything about him and his administration “Historic.” He has already played the “Historic” Americas first Black President despite his having to evolve into being black for political purposes, and the only thing he can do to make history now is to come OUT as Americas first Black openly gay President! He will come out, whether on his own terms or others, he will come out and Michelle Obama will not walk out and will not play the “I had no idea” game because its never been a secret.

Poll: Obama's Shift Splits VotersWhen President Barack Obama made his historic announcement in support of gay marriage, political pundits went into overdrive trying to determine whether it would help or hurt him come November. A new Reuters/Ipsos poll released Tuesday revealed that, so far, the move hasn’t swayed voters much one way or the other. Roughly 31 percent of those polled now have a more favorable view of Obama, and 30 percent say they have a less favorable view. Forty percent say the announcement had no impact on how they’ll vote whatsoever. In the most important category—independent voters—tended to side against the president by just a hair, 26 percent of them viewing Obama less favorably while 19 percent now view him more favorably. Fifty-four percent said the announcement had no impact on their opinion.